An Interpretation Of The Shipping News From The Perspective Of Deep Ecology

Annie Proulx(1935-)is a late bloomer in contemporary American literature.The novel The Shipping News(1993)won her the National Book Award in 1993 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1994.This novel is set in Newfoundland,Canada,which reflects Proulx’s love for Newfoundland and her concern for environmental issues.At present,scholars at home and abroad have gradually diversified researches on Annie Proulx and her work The Shipping News,but researches based on deep ecology are still rare.In the era of rapid development of industry,science and technology,the relationship between human and nature is always related to people’s lives.Ecocriticism is rising on the basis of the increasingly serious ecological crisis.As a branch of ecocriticism,compared with traditional ecology,deep ecology advocates ecological holism,highlights intrinsic value of natural ecology,and regards human self-realization as the highest standard of coexistence between man and nature.Using deep ecology theory of Arne Naess and the method of textual reading,this thesis analyzes in detail the protagonist Quoyle’s awakening process of ecological consciousness.The thesis starts with an introduction to ecocriticism and Naess’ s deep ecology,and it explains three core concepts of deep ecology,that is,anti-anthropocentrism,holism and self-realization.Then,the thesis elaborates serious consequences caused by anthropocentrism,which is opposed by deep ecology.These consequences include human’s destruction of environment,capital’s manipulation of nature and people,and the alienation within human communities.Then,the thesis analyzes ecological holism embodied in the novel,including ecocentric equality and symbiosis between human and nature.This way of thinking is the correct attitude towards nature.Finally,the thesis discusses self-realization of Quoyle and the Newfoundlanders,emphasizing the significance of self-realization through closeness to nature.Through the analysis above,this thesis concludes that the description of human-nature relationship in The Shipping News reflects Proulx’s concern for ecological crisis,and opposition to anthropocentrism.People should be inspired to appreciate the value of nature,respect and protect nature.Only in the interaction with nature can we get rid of the concept of anthropocentrism and complete self-realization.